Protest

Aaron and I had just come back from Seomyeon and were walking up the subway steps in Nampodong to walk across the bridge to Yeongdo Island when we were faced with hundreds of riot police, dressed head to toe in riot gear!  Talk about exciting!   If I had to guess, I'd say there were between 500 and 1,000.

We knew why they were there.  Hanjin Shipping Company's employees were protesting... AGAIN. The company is located on the island where I live and the employees gather at least once every two months to march across the main bridge, and all the way to the front of the shipyard, to protest the company's unfair labor practices and the recent layoff of over 600 Korean employees after the CEO decided to move part of the company to a new shipyard in the Phillippines in order to save on labor costs, regarless of the almost 1 billion in earnings made that year.  In addition, a lot of Koreans have joined the protest for the sole purpose of  encouraging a 52 year old female who climbed atop one of Hanjin's cranes (105 feet high) and has been living up there, in a 6x10 foot control room, for over 260 days now in protest.  She has stated that she will not come down until the laid off employees have been given their jobs back. As a side note, a lot of my students parents work or worked for Hanjin, and Okk (my co-teacher) was actually one of the 600 Hanjin employees to be laid off.  So, this is actually very near and dear to me.

Aaron and I were smack dab in the middle of all the action when the police trucks started spraying the protestors with water and tear gas, sending them running in all directions.  Aaron grabbed his camera and shot this video.  I know it looks crazy in this video, but don't worry mom and dad, we were up on a ledge, where only photographers and media were, and we were completely safe! 

May I be excused?

Lunchtime in Korea is very different from lunchtime in America!  For starters, everyone eats the exact same thing!  Secondly, there's NO teachers lounge!  Instead, teachers sit at a table right smack dab in the middle of the kids in the cafeteria!  For all you visual people out there, this is my school's cafeteria!

Thirdly, where people sit at the table is a big deal.  In America, the host at a dinner party, or special employee usually sits "at the head of the table!"  Right?  Well, not in Korea!  The highest ranked employees (ie: Principal, Vice Principal, and/or Head Teacher) all sit in the middle of the table.  I, for whatever reason, have been asked to sit beside the Principal everyday.  I think this is their way of showing (non verbally) how much they appreciate/respect me.  I'm honored. :)

Fourthly, when you're finished with your meal, you can't just get up and leave the table.  I'm not talking about students here!  I'm talking about teachers!  We have to wait for either the oldest person, or the highest ranked employee, at the table, to stand up.  Then, and only then, can we get up from the table!  So, today, for instance, I finished my lunch by 12:15pm, but had to wait until close to 12:30pm for the Principal to stop talking, finish eating, and stand up!  This gets really annoying sometimes!

Now you think that's bad?  The kids have it a little worse, but in a different way!  They are not allowed to leave their table until they have eaten everything on their tray... EVERYTHING!  When they're done, they walk up to their teacher, or their classroom leader, hold their tray in front of him or her and wait for the approval.  If there is some soup left, or a vegetable uneaten they are told to sit back down until they finish!

Just another little cultural tidbit to help you live a day in my life! :) 

Happy eating! 

"Honey?! Will you....

...carry my purse?!"

Aaron and I were talking to my parents on skype this afternoon, and the 4 of us got onto the subject of Korean style relationships and how in a dating relationship, the men are typically on their best behavior (They take the girls to nice restaurants; they're polite and romantic; and my favorite... The men carry their girlfriend's purses! ... in PUBLIC!)  My parents were laughing and saying how they were surprised I had never done a blog about this!  So, with that, a new blog entry was born!

After we hung up with them, Aaron and I scooted over to Nampodong for some Vietnamese food for lunch and then some leisurely shopping while looking out for purse carrying boyfriends! 

As you can see, this guy was trying to cover her purse with his black leather jacket.  I guess it's his way of making her happy, while saving face at the same time!

This one is my favorite! 

Right after I took the above picture, I ran into my friend Crystal!  She was asking what I was doing and when I told her, she said her friend's boyfriend NEVER let's her carry her own purse or shopping bags!

 Sometimes even the husbands do it! 

These are the husbands whose wives clearly wear the pants in the family!

Korea has taken this aspect of chivalry to a whole new level!  And just so you know, Aaron actually carried my purse ONCE, but then realized how heavy and uncomfortable it is, and how weird he felt, and never did it again!  haha...  Don't think I haven't tried asking!!

Simple living

I was sitting in my bed tonight, looking around my tiny apartment, thinking to myself, why would I ever need to live in anything bigger than this?  Now, for those of you who knew me before I moved to Korea, you know that I lived here!  Yes, this was my house, all 2267 square feet of it!  Just me and a roomate!  And all I could think of was how the next house I bought should be even bigger!

Where I once had a front yard and a quiet street, I now have a busy alley with a restaurant below me, shady motels across from me, massage parlors down the street, and a karaeokee bar next door! Where I once had a 2 car garage with 2 cars, I now share a scooter with Aaron.  Where I once had 18 windows, I now have 2.  And believe it or not, I actually prefer it!  I love hearing people walking up and down my street all day and night, and the convenience of walking 30 seconds to the little corner mart when I've just noticed I'm out of milk in the mornings!  Having the smell of delicious Korean BBQ below me isn't all that bad either!

This was once my laundry room where I had more cabinets to store hoard stuff I didn't need!  I had a washer, dryer and even a stinkin' folding counter, as if the floor or bed weren't sufficient enough to do one's folding.  Don't get me wrong, it was convenient!

My old house had 3 bathrooms all with their own bathtubs and showers, and a total of 12 cabinets and 4 drawers. Yes, that equated to 1 more bathroom and shower than residents in the home and MORE cabinets filled with things I bought and thought I would use one day! 

Now, this is my 1 bathroom AND laundry room combination!  As you can see, I shower in the middle of my bathroom, the little white wall shelf is my only bathroom storage, and my washing machine and drying RACK are hidden, nicely behind that shower curtain.  And this was taken with a special lens to get everything in.  It's about a 4ft x 8ft bathroom (32 square feet).  It's not this big in real life... but it's sufficient and I like it!

I once had a kitchen with 21 cabinets and 7 drawers FILLED with cooking utensils that I used once a year, if that (but they were cute, so I bought them!), more flower vases then I ever needed (just incase I hosted a baby or wedding shower), more plates, bowls and silverware than I could ever use at one dinner party, and over 20 fancy glasses of different sorts (I apparently thought I would have that many people over for drinks one day... which did happen, but only twice)! I had enough pots and pans to run a small restaurant, and more baking pans and tins than I could ever need! I had a full size oven, a big microwave, a 4 burner stove, a huge fridge with an ice maker and filtered water coming out the door, a toaster, garbarge disposal, dishwasher, china cabinet for more unneeded fancy plates and dinnerware, and a huge table for 8!

Now I have 10 cabinets, 1 drawer, 1 toaster oven, a portable 1 burner stove, a table for 2, and a mini fridge!   And yes, that's an armoire filled with my clothes, in the kitchen... because you have to be creative when you're living in a box! 

This was once my bedroom / haven! 

... my family room!

...1 of 2 guest bedrooms (which was actually only used maybe 3 times) but was fully furnished...

you know, just in case!

... my office, filled to the brim with books to one day be read, and overflowing with craft supplies in all of the cabinets below!

... and a game room!  You know, for when I would host ALL those potential baby or wedding showers and we wanted to play a game of pool! haha (Which, instead ended up being 1 huge Christmas party, 1 surprise birthday party for a good friend, a Thanksgiving, and a weekend with 15 friends!) ...  Still, though, it was a room in my house, and I felt it should be furnished, so I spent my money on a pool table, armoire with ANOTHER TV, a game table, and a wine fridge... to be used 3 times!

NOW, this is my bedroom, family room, guest bedroom, office, and gameroom, all rolled into one 15ft x 12ft foot space! Yep, that's 180 square feet folks!  When my sister came to stay with me, we shared my bed.  When Jess and Carlos come, they sleep on my rug and use my decorative pillows and small blanket!   Since I don't have a couch, friends usually lounge on my bed, or on the floor, my office is now that little table on the bottom right of the picture where I have a tiny two drawer box for "junk" and a holder for files!  All those craft supplies I once had have been condensed into one shoe sized box that sits on my washing machine.  When I absolutely need a supply, I buy it!  No more of that "Oh that's cute, and it's on sale.  Maybe I'll use it one day."  You just can't do that when you live in a small space... and games are played on the rug.  It may not be pool, but what's wrong with dominoes, card games and dice games?! 

They're just as fun in my opinion!

My heater is built into my flooring (so awesome!) and it only takes 1 tiny air conditioning wall unit to cool of my entire place!  My electric bills in peak season are about $35 a month!

It's not just the low utility prices though that have made me fall in love with this simple style of living!  It's the fact that I can spend my money on travel, dinners out, and fun things that I want to... and then am able to save all the rest!  No huge mortgage... No high water bill for watering the front and backyard... No need to purchase hoards of framed art, fancy furnitue, flat screen TV's, or storage boxes for all the holiday decor that I once loved to have, but now am fine living without!  Living this way has cut down on my anxiety, my obsession with decorating and creating a perfect home, and has allowed me so much extra time!  Afterall, do you know how long it takes to clean a 250 sq foot apartment?!  I'll tell you.  About an hour, tops! 

I'd like to think that this has been a forever change in my views of house and home, but I'm afraid when I come back to the US I'll fall back into the American dream, and never feel content enough in the home I live.  I hope that when, and, if that day comes, I'll look back on this blog entry and remember how happy I was and content with having so little.  Here's hoping.

Tips for understanding foreigners!

Aaron has been asked to give private English lessons to a teacher at his school who will be moving to Atlanta, GA, for her husbands job.  I was looking through some documents that I made when I was teaching English to the parents and teachers at my last school and came across this one!  I had made it, because each of these things had happened to be NUMEROUS TIMES and it was my sly way of teaching them not to say or do this stuff!   This is a little glimpse into everyday life as a foreigner in Korea! :)

(The red font is just for you!)

Tips for UNDERSTANDING foreigners:

1.     Don't comment on their negative personal appearances. 

Don’t ever say:

“You look tired.”

“You look a little bit big (or fat) today.” 

“You look sick.”

“What is that on your face? (If you have a blemish)”  

(arm, hand, leg, foot are okay)

Much older men saying to younger women: “You look sexy today.”

 *** Yes, at some point, they had said each of these things to me!  They had no idea that in American culture, it's really rude."

                     Nice things to say:

                        “You have a beautiful smile.”

                        “ I like your ______ (item of clothing)”

                        “ You look really nice today!”

*** You'd think I wouldn't have to teach this, but every culture is different!

*** Even when you think you're being kind, what is acceptable in Korea may be different than what the foreigner is used to and you may receive a bad response from them. 

              

2.     Try to use, “You should” instead of commanding them to do something when they have a choice.

Example:

     “Go pour the Principal some soju.” (A LITTLE BIT RUDE)

“You should pour the Principal some soju.”   (GOOD!)

     “You have to wear stockings in the winter.”  (BAD)

“You should wear stockings in the winter.”   (GOOD)

    

3.     Always say “please” and “Thank you” 

Example: 
“Open the door.” (VERY RUDE)

“Could you open the door, please?” (GOOD)

“Give me the pen.” (VERY RUDE)

“Can you pass me the pen, please?”

*** I read a story about a Korean co-teacher debating whether or not to say “please” to his younger foreign co-teacher.  In the end, he decided he did not need to say “please” because he was older.  In America, we say please all the time, regardless of age difference.  You are considered very rude if you do not say please and thank you.

4.     In America it’s considered really impolite to push people in a crowded place, bump into someone without saying “sorry,” cut in a line ahead of someone, spit inside a building, chew with your mouth open, slurp soup, and yell into your cell phone

 *** Oh man... I remember teaching this part (above) and them saying, "Oh really?!" and being super surprised that these things were rude! 

5.     Never respond to a question by saying, “It is possible.” It does not mean the opposite of impossible!  “It is possible” means “probably.”

                                            A.             Example:

A: Can you come over for dinner tomorrow night?

B: It is possible. (NO!!!)

B: Probably, but I’m not sure. I’ll look at my calendar and let 

    you know.

                        A: Can you give me a ride home today after school?

                        B: It is possible. (NO!!!)

                        B: Yes, of course!

6.     Smile for pictures with foreigners!  Not smiling in a picture in America means that you are bored, not having fun, or mad at someone in the pictures! 

*** I had SO MANY pictures of my co-workers not smiling!  This was another sly way of teaching them to smile!

 

7.     Never put your hands over your face and giggle if you’re embarrassed to talk to a foreigner!  BE CONFIDENT!

If you don’t understand something a foreigner says, say “I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?” or “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

 ***Most young Korean girls between the age of 12 - 25 put their hands over their faces and giggle like this!  They're extremely shy, and think it's really cute to do that!  Being cute is basically the equivalent of being hott in America!  Every girl wants to be called "cute"!

8.     The X symbol you make with your arms when you're saying "No" or "I don't have any", is VERY RUDE to a foreigner who doesn’t know what it means! 

9.     In America, it is okay to show your shoulders and cleavage at work, but if you wear a skirt, or dress, above your knees, it’s considered too sexy.  

*** I am currently wearing a dress that is 6 inches above my knees, and it's TOTALLY fine, but since it has a v-neck, I'm wearing a tank top underneath!  My co-workers said they love my outfit today!  Go figure!

10. Older people are not given special treatment in America. 

* There are no special places on buses or subways for them to sit.

* Families rarely take in a sick grandparent. They usually move them into a “home” for old people and they stay there until they die.

* Older people are usually considered a nuisance in American society.

 *** We definitely have something to learn from Koreans here!  The elderly are regarded as really important, wise and the matriarch of the family! 

11. If you are 21 years old (or older) and are still living at home with your parents, you are considered a loser.

* People assume you are irresponsible and play video games

all day! 

*** Koreans live at home until they get married!  I currently have a 40 year old co-worker who STILL lives at home! 

  

12. Sixteen (16) is the legal driving age in America.

* If you are 18, without a driver’s license, you are considered to be lazy or irresponsible.

* High School parking lots are usually filled with cars, owned by Juniors and Seniors. 

*** My 35 year old female co-worker JUST got her license last week!  It was a huge deal, as most Koreans don't drive, but rather take public transportation!

           13. You don’t have to pay for grocery bags or carts at the supermarket in America!

*** Want a grocery bag or cart in Korea, you're gonna have to pay for it! LOL!

Hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into my life in Korea and the funny cultural differences that I experience on a daily basis!